For example, if a breaking news story is released about a development in LASIK Eye Surgery and your company offers this procedure, then position yourself or one of your media-trained surgeons as an expert on the subject and reach out to the local media to discuss statistics on LASIK.

A great resource for following the news is Google News. This news aggregator not only shows you a list of headlines, but it also measures the popularity of a news topic by showing how many outlets covered it.

By implementing this strategy, you’re bound to get better placement for your stories and greater media exposure for your company. 

Now that you’ve successfully launched a brand, how are you planning to promote it? Here’s one idea…build a community.

Not sure what I mean? Just consider the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (H.O.G.). This brand-centric community was developed by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company to bring together riders from around the world. It not only allows members to participate in local chapters and special events, but it also gives its members access to a special members-only website. Since its establishment in 1983, H.O.G. has attracted more than one million members.

One of the greatest benefits to developing this type of community is that it creates better brand awareness and loyalty. We all want our customers to be happy and come back again and again…and again. While advertising works most of the time, it’s only a piece of the puzzle. When you combine advertising with other forms of marketing communications, you will find that you have even more channels to get in front of your consumers.

The biggest challenge companies’ often face when building these types of communities is targeting the right audience. Before diving in to your development process, take some time to figure out your target demographic and what your company can offer that will attract this demographic to your community.

Concepts to Consider When Building Your Community:

Work the Web
The Internet is available to virtually everyone. When building your community, consider using Web 2.0 tools to launch your own version of a social network. If that’s too complicated, then start by setting up a simple message board or forum on your corporate site.

Go Local
If you own a retail store, focus on your local community. Your customers are probably also your neighbors, so host special events and other types of get-togethers that would interest them. Out here in Boulder, Neptune Mountaineering offers their store as a free venue for adventurers to give slide shows and lectures.

Find a Partner
You don’t have to build a community alone. It’s easy to find a partner to help. For instance, if you own a hardware store, partner with several of your key vendors to launch a community for consumers interested in home improvement.

Examples of Creative Brand-Centric Communities

Reel Moms
A community of mom’s with infants who get together at Loews for first-run movies, events and giveaways. The Company calls it “A Playdate for Moms!”
http://loews.bipnet.com/reelmoms/

Xango.tv
A video sharing site that allows customers and distributors to upload videos about Xango. The Company claims this is the first ever brand-centric video-sharing community in the industry. Currently, it has 10 different channels and is offering a $10,000 XangoTV award.
http://www.xango.tv/

Barack Obama For President
Here’s an example of a community within an established community. The brand in this example is presidential contender, Barack Obama. His Facebook group has attracted 11,225 members and his profile has 163,808 supporters.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2364211938 (Must be a Facebook user to view)

Defy.tv
Developed by adventure sportswear company, The North Face, Defy.tv allows users to upload and share extreme-sports videos.
http://www.defy.tv/

Why should you consider a strategic partnership?

• Use of existing infrastructure and distribution network
• Instant brand recognition
• Access to loyal customer base
• Future partnerships and funding opportunities
• Use of strategic partner’s resources in marketing, human resources, corporate management and brand strategy

Here are some examples of recent strategic partnerships:

iPod & Nike

What’s a better partnership than that of two of the most innovative consumer products companies, Apple and Nike? During the summer of 2006, both companies announced that they would join forces to launch the Nike+iPod Sports Kit, bringing together the worlds of sport and music. Each company offers a large customer base as well as brand loyalty. Creating this partnership allows customers the ability to purchase a sports package that includes the best music player combined with the best athletic shoes.

Isaac Mizrahi & Target

In 1998, luxury clothing designer Isaac Mizrahi closed his fashion house after Chanel pulled its financial backing. At the time, Mizrahi announced that he was transitioning into screenwriting. It wasn’t 5 years later that he created a strategic partnership with Target Corporation to launch the Isaac Mizrahi Collection of women’s sportswear and accessories. This exclusive partnership at Target gave Mizrahi the mass-distribution he needed to sell his product and it gave Target a luxury product to elevate its brand.

AuctionDrop & UPS Store

During the summer of 2004, eBay consignment company, AuctionDrop, announced that it was creating a strategic partnership with the UPS store to allow customers across the United States to submit their personal property for consignment. This partnership opened up 3,400 new storefronts for AuctionDrop, without the added time, money and energy that it would typically take to open a similar infrastructure. In return, AuctionDrop brought in more customers to the UPS store.

How do you develop a strategic partnership?

While there’s no simple answer, attracting a partner to help you launch your product or service becomes easier when you go after a company that fits with your brand. What do I mean? You’ll find it more successful to approach a company that targets a similar customer, sells other products in the same industry, or has a similar innovation and R&D strategy.

Here are 5 simple steps to help you begin the process of finding a strategic partner:

1. Write down all of the companies that would make a good fit with your product or service (this may take several pieces of paper)
2. Place a star next to all of the names of companies that reach your target customer
3. Circle any companies, from the ones you starred, in which you may have a contact. Although it easier if your contact works in corporate management, it’s still okay if this contact is an hourly employee. Any employee can start the process of pointing you to the decision maker.
4. Start using your contacts to call to set up appointments with the decision maker at those companies. FYI, for retailers, this is usually a specific buyer. 
5. Impress the decision maker by showing them your prototype, market research, exactly what problem your product or service is going to solve and why it’s beneficial to have you and your company as a partner.

Developing a strategic partnership is no easy task, but if you have an innovative product or service and can bring a unique opportunity to a potential partner, you’ll find success more easily attainable.

Not sure what philanthropic activities you can bring into your business? An easy strategy is to create a partnership with a local charity and pledge X% of your sales or certain services to members of that charity. Okay, I understand you may not want to give away money or time, but think about this. What’s it worth creating goodwill in the community, not to mention that local media outlets love covering philanthropic activities!

When choosing a charity partner, keep these in mind:

Make sure there is a fit between the charity and your business

• If you manufacture basketballs, give away free basketballs to an inner-city youth organization
• If you sell financial services, sponsor free financial help classes at a local community organization

There are pros and cons to choosing a religious charity

• Pros: Religious groups, such a church or synagogue can provide your business with access to more “charity loyal” customers
• Cons: The media probably won’t cover your activities

If you watched the World Series this year, you probably noticed lots of mentions about the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. This is Major League Baseball’s official charity and according to their website, they were looking at the best ways to prepare for the 21st century and fortify their relationship with youth. They must feel this works, as they’ve pledged more than $16 million in direct and indirect support to this organization.

The Wall Street Journal ran a recent article about brand extension gone wild. Here are some examples from this article. Would you buy these products?

Salvatore Ferragamo
Original Product: Leather Goods
Extension: Wristwatches

Roberto Cavalli
Original Product: Women’s Clothing
Extension: Vodka

Giorgio Armani
Original Product: Clothing Designer
Extension: Electronics (Cell Phones and LCD Televisions)

Bulgari
Original Product: Jewellery
Extension: Hotels

Ralph Lauren
Original Product: Polo Shirts
Extension: Paint

Instead, go after your local media. Develop a hook that focuses how your new business, product or service is helping your community. Believe me, local news stations love covering interesting topics going on in their own backyards.

If you feel inclined, take it one step further. Instead of focusing on a single area, come up with several different hooks for different places. When I owned The Selling Block in St. Louis, we launched a World Series charity auction with Major League Baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Boston Red Sox. We received plenty of coverage in St. Louis, but having the Red Sox involved allowed us to gain additional media exposure in the Northeast.

The next time you throw a big party, give everyone nametags…okay, this may seem hokey, but here’s the concept – on the nametags, have each guest write his or her name and then below their name, write a word or phrase in big letters that they want to be asked about.

Don’t understand what I’m talking about…here’s a photo example:

 What is NOLS you may (and should) ask…well, aha, there you go…now I can tell you about my 3-month sailing, sea kayaking and backpacking expedition I took during my last semester in college…maybe we’ll have something in common (maybe not), but at least someone will know something interesting about me and I’ll know something interesting about them when I ask about their “word”…

So now you have an idea for your next client party and an excellent way for your party goers to break the ice with each other without needing you to make introductions for everyone…

In the October 2007 issue of WIRED magazine, Breitling, the watchmaker, placed an advertisement for a special edition series of chronographs designed exclusively for Bentley Motors. The Company is calling the campaign, “Breitling for Bentley” and using the opportunity to compare its watches to the prestige of a Bentley automobile.

This is a great example of a company using the leverage of another company to increase its own brand recognition and brand value. While Breitling is already considered a luxury product, Bentley Motors is one of the top luxury brands in the world and this partnership will surely help build the Breitling brand.

This same type of creation can be true in public relations. An example of this would be Simons Jewelers and Lake Forest Confections. Simons Jewelers sells high-end jewelry and Lake Forest Confections sells gourmet chocolates. Individually, both businesses are well respected, but not unique in the eyes of the media. But when these companies came together and created Le Chocolat, a $1.5 million holiday gift, it sparked a media frenzy that resulted in features in Vogue, the Associated Press, and about three dozen other newspapers and magazines.

Another good example would be the partnership between Nutra Pharma Corporation and the World Aquarium. Nutra Pharma, a biotechnology company developing treatments to diseases using modified cobra venom was facing a dilemma. They were in the middle of trials and had no news to share with the media. During this time, they opted to create a partnership with the World Aquarium and sponsor its rare 2-headed snake to help build awareness about their trials as well as the importance of nature. The fit worked and they received spots on various radio and television stations and features in newspapers and magazines.

As you can clearly see from the above examples, combining two or more individual products, services or companies can be a very powerful source of creativity in public relations. The emergence from these partnerships can certainly help drive publicity that would otherwise be no existent.

The next time you are at a standstill with your product or service, give some thought to what you could pair it with to help drive media exposure. As always, feel free to post comments or email me if you have any questions or want feedback on your new PR ideas.

It’s not often that I have time to sit down and watch TV in the evenings, but when I do; my favorite show by far is The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. Every weekday evening on CNBC, Donny interviews startup and small-medium sized business executives to find out what they did to be successful and discover the source of their creative genius. Go ahead and watch just one episode and I’m sure you’ll get some interesting ideas. For more information, visit http://www.cnbc.com/id/15838512/.